Bob Giles Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 Bumper hitch with unique features. Not sure how it works or what it was for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 Looks a lot like the tow apparatus used to deliver a new car to a customer, towing a motorcycle. The dealer employee could then ride motorcycle back to dealership. Very common in the day, 20s and 30s…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 Not necessarily for a motorcycle. Just a bumper mounted hitch and tow bar from the earlier days of REAL bumpers. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f.f.jones Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 (edited) This "tow-bar" was a very common piece of equipment. I recall renting one for just a few dollars a day from a local trailer rental outfit. Many, many non-running cars found their way to my parent's driveway in the '60's. I recall pulling them from all over central California without mishap. Unfortunately this was not the case with the famous "ROD & CUSTOM Dream Truck" when the towing vehicle blew a tire at highway speed and both trucks flipped and rolled. You can see the tow bar still attached in the second picture. Probably not the safest way to move a vehicle. https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Rod_%26_Custom_Magazine's_Dream_Truck Edited June 6, 2022 by f.f.jones (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hook Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 (edited) These were common up into the 1950's. Your missing the steel clips/clamps that are used at each clamp. There about 3+ inches wide, 3-4 long and about a 1/4 inch thick and in the shape of an S with a slot that the chain goes in and the the bolt tightens up the unit on the bumper. They worked very good. Oh and the chain in the middle of the a frame unit is attached to a lever to hook to the pulled cars brakes. Edited June 6, 2022 by hook left out (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Giles Posted June 6, 2022 Author Share Posted June 6, 2022 The lever and chain in the middle was a mystery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 (edited) 36 minutes ago, Bob Giles said: The lever and chain in the middle was a mystery. Looks like maybe a spring to keep the safety chain to the bumper hitch taught. Also in the mix is the sliding bracket to adjust to nearly any bumper on the car being towed. Edited June 6, 2022 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailheadBob Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 In the md 60's we lived in the country and family members that lived in the city would give us old cars that usually did not run, my dad and I would rent the same looking tow bar, and we both would bring the car home, the first time we tied the steering wheel down and turning a corner the front end of the car was jumping and skipping across the pavement until we untied the steering wheel. Several occasions after I repaired the car they would buy the car back. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roysboystoys Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 U Haul had a one way rental. Two of us towed a 1936 Studebaker coupe from California to Ohio with a 1953 Olds 98 coupe. Lots and lots of stories go with that adventure. 1963 We turned it in at a u haul dealer and got our deposit back in Ohio. No problems with tow bar and hitch , but multiple tire problems. Lucky to survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 (edited) This was a wild trip towing my '31 Dodge from Detroit to San Diego via the upper peninsula of Michigan with a U-Haul hitch. Edited June 7, 2022 by keiser31 (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans1 Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 looks very similar to my RedArrow tow bar assy. They also had a cable assy to operate brakes on towed vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hook Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 The chain and lever on the A frame that was used to apply the brakes on the towed vehicle was designed for most cars mechanical brakes that had a cross shaft in the frame that a chain or cable could hook to. It was a little more complicated hooking it up the the brake peddle linkage of hydraulic brakes. I never used it since all my tows were short and relatively slow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Giles Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 If anyone desires this, I can have it in Hershey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted June 26, 2022 Share Posted June 26, 2022 (edited) On 6/6/2022 at 4:35 PM, Bob Giles said: The lever and chain in the middle was a mystery. I would guess that the two levers in the center were used to lock in the tow bars at the set angle so they would not change the distance between the ends on the car being towed. At least that is what the were for on a tow bar that I owned in the 70's. The chain would be the "safety chain" connected to the tow car for safety. At least that is my story and I currently sticking to it. Edited June 26, 2022 by Larry Schramm (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30DodgePanel Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 On 6/6/2022 at 5:54 PM, keiser31 said: This was a wild trip towing my '31 Dodge from Detroit to San Diego via the upper peninsula of Michigan with a U-Haul hitch. Interesting to think what the cost for that same trip had it been done today. At 2342 miles (San Diego to Detroit scenario) fuel alone would be around $12k. My guess is at the time it would have been closer to $1000-$1500. I bet you'd still do it all over again though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 (edited) 4 hours ago, 30DodgePanel said: Interesting to think what the cost for that same trip had it been done today. At 2342 miles (San Diego to Detroit scenario) fuel alone would be around $12k. My guess is at the time it would have been closer to $1000-$1500. I bet you'd still do it all over again though. Obviously we learned math in different schools!😉. My calculator shows the following. 2342 miles divided by 12 mpg, est, equals 195 gal @ $6.00 per gal equals $1170.00. Unless I have made a mistake. Which I have been known to do. Ben Edited June 27, 2022 by Ben Bruce aka First Born (see edit history) 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30DodgePanel Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 Wow, see kids, that proves you should stay in school and never post at 3 am pre coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFeeney Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 I rented one of these in 1963 for 4 hours when I was 18. I had to borrow the $25. deposit from my mother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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